How Do I Stop Tangles & Shrinkage That Are Ruining My Waistlength Goal

[wyldcurlz]

its sooo super curly (looks like little lower-case 's') and tangled at the root that if i get my fingers in there, they get stuck! its like that for the rest of the week because i'm scared to detangle it without lots of conditioner for slip. and i'm scared all this tangling WILL DAMAGE MY QUEST FOR WAISTLENGTH HAIR in '09!! here's what i'm doing: after i wash and very gently detangle my hair (with lots of condish in it), i rinse a bit then let it air dry just hanging down straight. i rub a little avocado butter into it and let it dry. then i put it up in a ponytail when i think its mostly dry. day 1 usually isn't a problem (that i can remember, its been a week since i washed.) but day 2 & beyond are a mess!! my hair hangs straight or loosely wavy at the hairline parts, but the crown and deep in the crown it is a tight, mess of tangled curls and shrinkage! when i take it down, its a poufy rats nest! its horrible and i'm scared that this will lead to damage - or pixy knots that have to be cut out or locking. i don't know what to do short of daily condish washes or rinsing. what am i doing wrong??

 

[msa]

I think you need to airdry in a style that stretches your roots. You could do braids and just make sure the root has tension on it so that it will be stretched out instead of curling back on itself and tangling. Bantu knots may be another good style for you and you'd end up with great spiral looking curls.

I have to do this for my ends so they don't get tangled and knotty. And I airdry in braids (tight ones) so that I don't have to blowdry if I'm going to get a weave or something. It works like a charm.

 

[michaela]

Try Braiding plaiting or twisting your hair after you detangle and let it air dry like that until ready to be taken out. You also can braid,plait etc at night before you go to bed and see if that can make a difference.
hope i helped.

 

[lilsparkle825]

i had the same problem, so i put my hair in these twists...but before that i realized that if i put my hair in about 6-8 big twists or braids and THEN let it dry, i didn't have that issue. my ends got really raggedy from letting my hair dry in a puff so i feel your pain! also, are you using a leave-in or just the avocado butter? it looks like you are saying you leave a bit of condish in but i wanted to check.

 

[Dee Raven]

To avoid this, I usually dry my hair in twist or braids, just so it doesn't shrink back up again.

 

[wyldcurlz]

I think you need to airdry in a style that stretches your roots. You could do braids and just make sure the root has tension on it so that it will be stretched out instead of curling back on itself and tangling. Bantu knots may be another good style for you and you'd end up with great spiral looking curls.

I have to do this for my ends so they don't get tangled and knotty. And I airdry in braids (tight ones) so that I don't have to blowdry if I'm going to get a weave or something. It works like a charm.

Good call on drying in a style that stretches my roots. i don't know why i didn't think of that. i need to find sylver2's video on bantu knots. i have no idea how to do them. thanks!

Try Braiding plaiting or twisting your hair after you detangle and let it air dry like that until ready to be taken out. You also can braid,plait etc at night before you go to bed and see if that can make a difference.
hope i helped.

i had the same problem, so i put my hair in these twists...but before that i realized that if i put my hair in about 6-8 big twists or braids and THEN let it dry, i didn't have that issue. my ends got really raggedy from letting my hair dry in a puff so i feel your pain! also, are you using a leave-in or just the avocado butter? it looks like you are saying you leave a bit of condish in but i wanted to check.

Michaela & Lilsparkle - do you just make big twists - kinda like the ones you see little girls wearing when they have 4 ponytails? come to think of it, my mom used to style my hair like this when i was a lot younger. thanks ladies, i need to try twisting because i can't do plaits or senegalese twists for that matter. i'm not very styling savvy.

To avoid this, I usually dry my hair in twist or braids, just so it doesn't shrink back up again.

do you just do one twist, Dee Raven?

good idea ladies - thanks to all of you. my hair is damp now so i'm going to run and twist it up and see how it comes out!

 

[michaela]

Good call on drying in a style that stretches my roots. i don't know why i didn't think of that. i need to find sylver2's video on bantu knots. i have no idea how to do them. thanks!





Michaela & Lilsparkle - do you just make big twists - kinda like the ones you see little girls wearing when they have 4 ponytails? come to think of it, my mom used to style my hair like this when i was a lot younger. thanks ladies, i need to try twisting because i can't do plaits or senegalese twists for that matter. i'm not very styling savvy.


do you just do one twist, Dee Raven?

good idea ladies - thanks to all of you. my hair is damp now so i'm going to run and twist it up and see how it comes out!

Yes i do twist or braids like the little girls wear their hair and in the morning i will untwist glad this is helping you